The simple joy of children

I was travelling in Vienna with my sister and a friend. We were going around the city on board a tram, with no particular agenda, other than to view different parts of the city. It was a great way to sightsee. We were able to feel the ambiance associated with each section of the city we visited. As the scenes changed, so did the pace of life, as seen in people walking along the streets and vendors selling their produce and products in shops. We also noticed how differently people carried themselves as they went about their business.

It must have been close to 3 p.m. or so when the schools finished for the day and a bunch of kids hopped onto the tram. One of the children caught my attention. He must have been around 8 or 9 years of age. He had blonde hair and a big grin, and was chatting excitedly with his friends. In his hands, he held a model. I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about, but his body language told me he was excited about his creation. He was busy explaining to his buddies how it worked, oblivious to what was going on around him in the tram. It is always very charming to see people passionate about their thoughts and deeds.

I gestured to ask him if I could take a picture of him with his model. He nodded without a moment of hesitation, and held it up for me to snap a shot. His smile was genuine, not intentionally posed for the picture. He was not shy, and his behavior told me that he was very trusting of people (even strangers). It was natural for him to respond to a stranger’s request this way. His face made a deep and lasting impression on me.

He was happy to accommodate my request for a picture.

Another child enjoying one of life's simple pleasures.

Such genuine happiness in a simple joy in life – there are few things in the world that can compare to such purity. We can find it often in children, if we look closely enough. With age, we tend to lose such purity of heart more and more until, one day, it becomes a novelty to us when we see it.

I think we should add another developmental task in older age—to reinvent the purity of our hearts in order to rediscover the simple joys in life. I believe this could be the key to happiness and contentment in old age. At least I believe so for now.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

Life cycles of cities

Hong Kong has had its “glorious” moments. There was a time when China maintained a closed-door policy, and Hong Kong was the only gateway connecting China with the rest of the world. We prospered because of the unique role we played between China and the other countries. Since China opened up its doors under the government of Deng Xiao Ping, Hong Kong’s significance to China has slowly declined.

We used to be a great entrepôt. Not any more. Business routes between major cities in China and the outside world have become direct. Nothing needs to go through Hong Kong before entering China now. It used to be that there could be no direct contact between China and Taiwan. Therefore, people from both Taiwan and the Chinese mainland had to stop over in Hong Kong before moving on to either Taiwan or the mainland. This practice will soon come to a complete halt, as both the Taiwanese and the Chinese governments are eager to boost direct trade and cultural exchange between the two places.

Hong Kong construction worker scales scaffolding.

It is a well-known fact that Hong Kong depends on her mother country to prosper. As other cities in China become more developed and better connected to the global village, Hong Kong is losing its strategic importance. Our previous industrial and business orientations have changed from those of manufacturing to those of a service industry, manifested as banking, finance and tourism. Like other cities in the world, we are going through a cycle: struggle, development, prosperity, fading importance and struggle.

Members of a Hong Kong domestic workers union demonstrate.

Many a time, I hear visitors remarking that other Chinese cities are doing a lot better, implying that Hong Kong is lagging behind in many dimensions, losing its valour and glamour to neighboring areas and major cities in China.

Public housing estate in Hong Kong.

I am somewhat amazed that such remarks are being made. Just as families go through life cycles, so do cities. We have had our share of cheap labor in manufacturing. We were the production house for many developed countries for goods such as garments, toys and watches. Then, because of rising production costs, our factories moved inland to the southern part of China. Even in southern China, the situation is becoming more competitive now. Global manufacturers keep looking for cheaper places to produce their goods. Many production houses have been moved to Vietnam, Cambodia, and so on.

There are few cities on earth like New York, London, Paris or Tokyo, where the city never seems to grow old. Hong Kong may be progressing toward older age. But we are still bursting with life, with a population of more than seven million.

So Hong Kong will lose its attractiveness. But it is my hometown, where I have my roots and where many members of my family still reside. And there is no place like home.

For Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL), published by the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.